Lento

Lento tells a performer to play slowly. It describes the pace without fixing the precise number of beats per minute. The marking is normally printed above the staff at the start of a piece or a new section. It guides the performer until another tempo instruction changes it.

The 55 BPM example gives you a point to try, not an official definition. Italian tempo words cover a range, and published charts do not agree on exact boundaries. If a score specifies a note value and metronome number, such as quarter note = 55, that gives a measurable pulse.

Try 55 steady beats per minute and sustain a two-beat note without delaying the next entrance.

Lento and Largo can both be slow; Largo also suggests breadth. The ordering of nearby slow terms varies among reference charts, so musical context and a printed metronome marking matter more than a universal rank. For a direct A/B test, use the same four notes at the example pace and at the pace suggested on the Adagio page. Listen for the distance between the main beats, not just the number of notes you play.